The Influential Nonprofit - podcast cover

The Influential Nonprofit

You want your nonprofit to make the biggest impact possible on those you serve and to do that you need a community of support. Each week, join Maryanne Dersch, nonprofit revolutionary, as she interviews nonprofit leaders who are growing their influence to raise more money and do more good. If you want to fundraise with ease, build better relationships with board and staff, or just need a shot of fresh ideas and inspiration, this show is for you.
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Episodes

Bethany Natoli, Mightycause; Peer to Peer Fundraising Done Right

As the VP of Community Engagement, Bethany Natoli is one of the driving forces behind Mightycause, an all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform. With over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and a passion for utilizing technology for social good, Bethany has helped countless organizations and campaigns enhance their fundraising efforts and streamline donation processes. Key Takeaways: Peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful tool for garnering support for mission-driven organizations. S...

May 02, 202434 minEp. 148

Rhonda Travers: Four steps to retaining volunteers

As Founder & President of Travers Training & Consulting, Rhonda Travers fulfills her passion for creating a collaborative culture by helping businesses & nonprofits increase engagement, retention, and productivity. Rhonda leverages her 30-year corporate leadership experience to share her unique approach through business consulting, training workshops, and speaking engagements. Key Takeaways: In today's fast-paced world, offering flexibility in volunteer roles is essential for nonprof...

Apr 25, 202428 minEp. 147

[CLASSIC REWIND] Kim Fisher, Vision Catalyst: How to Start a Nonprofit

Kim Fisher is a nonprofit strategist who specializes in creating and implementing infrastructure for nonprofit start-ups. Kim does everything from completing the IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit application requirements, to board training and development. She has over 30 years experience as a nonprofit executive in all areas of nonprofit management including business development, training, marketing and as CEO. Kim’s extensive experience in both domestic and international organizations gives her a unique...

Apr 18, 202438 minEp. 146

Better Fundraising Conversations: Not What You Say But What You Ask

Key Takeaways: Ask and listen instead of pitching and selling. People are more likely to when they feel seen, heard, and understood. Your only job is to tap into somebody and have them feel seen, heard, and understood. People decide based on their emotions. Listen to them and lead the conversation with empathy. If people feel misunderstood, they’ll become frustrated and guarded, the opposite is also true. First, ask a vision question to know what their pain is or what they want to gain. Second, ...

Apr 11, 202426 minEp. 145

Jane Pfeiffer, Field Trip: Why donors give!

Jane Pfeiffer is the founder and President of Fieldtrip, a cause-focused agency dedicated to helping purpose-driven organizations help others. Fieldtrip is based on the belief that learning expands when you step outside with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Jane, and the Fieldtrip team, work across the country supporting important work including public and private education, homelessness, child abuse prevention, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and other health and social services. Key Takeaways: The three ke...

Apr 04, 202434 minEp. 144

Activating Your Support Networks

Key Takeaways: Creating a support network can help you stay connected, stay confident, stay grounded, and most importantly, stay sovereign. Prioritize building deeper connections with people, and be intentional in getting to know them. Set dates, strive to meet consistently, and keep it fresh with different activities. The lessons that you need rarely ever come from within. Most of the time, it’s by seeking out other people and giving them a listening ear that you’ll find the gem that you need. ...

Mar 28, 202416 minEp. 143

Karen Knight: Boost Your Volunteer Program!

With a career spanning over three decades, Karen Knight is a seasoned professional renowned for her unwavering commitment to the not-for-profit sector. Having navigated various leadership roles in both the private and public sectors, Karen’s journey highlights her adaptability and versatility. Key Takeaways: Before looking for volunteers, establish the roles that they will fill or come up with a list of tasks that they will do. Know who you are looking for and what they’re going to do. Keep your...

Mar 21, 202434 minEp. 142

No More Drama!

Key Takeaways: Understanding how thoughts and feelings contribute to decision-making is key to influential leadership. Influential leadership creates sustainable workforces with less turnover and more productivity. The first step towards becoming an influential leader is to go inward. Be willing to understand how the thoughts, beliefs, and experiences that you had when you were young impact the decisions that you make today. Guilt is when we feel bad for what we do and shame is when we feel bad ...

Mar 14, 202418 minEp. 141

Creating Structure for Maximum Productivity

Key Takeaways: Having maximum structure and maximum flow allows individuals to work to their highest advantage, rather than sacrificing one for the other. Individuals can fall into one of three categories: high structure, low flow; high flow, low structure; or high structure, high flow, where the ideal balance is found in the "influential third." Create a foundation for the day through a consistent morning routine or Sunday planning. This structure allows for greater openness to unexpected creat...

Mar 07, 202424 minEp. 140

Chris Barlow: Donor Attraction With Digital Marketing

As Founder and Customer Happiness Director of Beeline, Chris is thankful to get to help nonprofits grow their mission and donor base through digital marketing, specifically Google Grant, Bing, and Facebook ads. Most of all, he’s thankful to be the dad to seven kids and to help them learn to live generously. Key Takeaways: Digital marketing is a powerful tool for nonprofits to achieve their organizational goals. The key to having an effective digital marketing strategy is to focus on giving value...

Feb 29, 202433 minEp. 139

Maria Rio: Real Talk About Community-Centric Fundraising

Maria Rio is a Community-Centric Fundraiser with over a decade in the sector, published in a variety of national publications, a speaker, and an advocate. Key Takeaways: Being Community-Centered means focusing on the community rather than an executive’s ego, a board member, or somebody else. It’s all about centering the needs, methods, and values of the people that you’re trying to serve in all aspects of your organization. Release judgment and start from a place of empathy when discussing socio...

Feb 22, 202432 minEp. 138

Sean Kosofsky: EDs, Boards, and the Gift of Fundraising

Sean Kosofsky is the Nonprofit Fixer! He is a coach, consultant, trainer, and strategic advisor. For the past 30+ years, he has helped causes, campaigns, and candidates raise millions of dollars and transformed nonprofit organizations and leaders. He has served in a wide variety of roles in nonprofits, including policy, communications, development, grassroots organizing, direct service, board leadership, and five stints as an executive director. He is an author and the owner of Mind the Gap Cons...

Feb 15, 202429 minEp. 137

Farra Trompeter: Connecting To Your Community Through Branding

As Big Duck’s Co-Director, Farra ensures that Big Duck is a healthy, thriving company—that we’re creating a great work environment, are financially stable, producing work that successfully meets or exceeds client’s needs, and that diversity, inclusion, equity, and antiracism are centered in all we do. She directs Big Duck’s marketing and business development efforts, seeking to build relationships with nonprofits who want to use communications to achieve their mission. Farra has led dozens of or...

Feb 08, 202435 minEp. 136

It's Back: Learn How To Attract New Donors To Your Nonprofit At The Donor Attraction Forum!

Join us LIVE on Thursday, February 15th & Friday, February 16th in this year’s Donor Attraction Forum for FREE by clicking here: https://donorattractionforum.com/MaryanneD Ask for and receive all you want, need , and deserve without feeling rejected, ineffective, or pushy . Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively, and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connec...

Feb 01, 20248 minEp. 135

Money Mindset And Fundraising

Key Takeaways: Addressing your inner beliefs and feelings about money is essential to your success in fundraising because our subconscious minds can influence our financial decisions and behaviors. Look at the story that your mind has made up about money. Separate the guilt and the shame and keep your feelings neutral. You are not judging, you are observing and analyzing. Hear out the story and then re-write it. Self-awareness gives you the power of choice. The nonprofit sector has a tendency to...

Jan 18, 202434 minEp. 134

Supercharge Your Year With 90 Day MOST Plan

Key Takeaways: 90 days is long enough to get something done but short enough that there’s some urgency to it. The 90-day MOST stands for Mission, Objective, Strategy, and Tactics. It accounts for having an overall vision and creating simple strategies to implement each quarter. We need to have a clear vision so that we know what we’re looking for. Before creating a plan, take time to create a vision board. Visualize what you want to create in your life and depict it in your vision board. Once yo...

Jan 11, 202422 minEp. 133

Luke Emerson: Tips For Growing Your Fundraising Skillset

Luke brings 25+ years of expertise from top companies like Procter & Gamble and AstraZeneca to the University of Rochester. As Assistant VP overseeing Domestic and International major gift fundraising, he drives impactful results. In his free time, Luke's passion extends to Tips4People.com, a video micro-learning hub empowering small nonprofits with concise, high-quality actionable tips for positive change. Key Takeaways: Listening is the key to being an effective fundraiser. You have to lis...

Dec 28, 202331 minEp. 132

Why Fundraising Goals Are Costing You Money

Key Takeaways: Raising money is critical to a mission. That’s why it’s important to find a better way of doing this that has more grace, ease, and flow. Measuring by amount only limits how we look at relationships and it makes fundraising transactional. Remember that donors aren’t ATMs. We tend to not value other things that come to us if they're not supportive of a goal that we need. When we don’t value those things, we’ll miss out on a lot of beauty and joy. Goals don’t create long-term succes...

Dec 21, 202328 minEp. 131

Mitch Stein: Unlock Donor-Advised Funds

Mitch is a social entrepreneur, community builder, and impact innovator. He is currently the Head of Strategy for Chariot, a Donor-Advised Fund solution for nonprofits to solicit, maximize, manage & steward DAF donors and their gifts. He previously founded a nonprofit marketplace and community called Pond after leaving his role as a VP on Goldman Sachs' Technology Investment Banking team. He's a long-time board member at The LGBT Center of NYC and an active alum of the Startup Leadership Pro...

Dec 14, 202338 minEp. 130

Eric Ressler: Thriving In The Attention Economy

Eric Ressler is the Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, a Social Impact Creative Agency. Cosmic empowers social impact organizations to catalyze real-world change by helping them nail their impact story, build brand awareness, and inspire action. Key Takeaways: It shouldn’t be an issue if either a “nonprofit” organization is making a profit, or if it’s failing. Most for-profit businesses take a lot of years before they take off and it’s only right that we give nonprofit businesses the same ...

Dec 07, 202338 minEp. 129

Moving Beyond Polarity For Better Solutions

Key Takeaways: We don’t have to always choose between two options. The influential way is the third option where everybody wins which is all about making decisions from a higher power and with a higher purpose. When you focus on one polarity over another and pull them apart from each other, the polarity will eventually break. For example, by sacrificing conflict for peace, we end up creating more conflict. Learn to see value in both elements of a polarity. Allow space for paradoxes and keep both...

Nov 30, 202327 minEp. 128

Dr. Victoria Boyd: Websites that Work!

President and Founder of The Philantrepreneur™ Foundation, Dr. Boyd has been a driving force in education, non-profit, and entrepreneurial endeavors as an educator, trainer, administrator, and advocate throughout the country. With a passion for seeing others reach their full potential, she provides guidance and training focusing on nonprofit and social enterprise development and management. Key Takeaways: The nonprofit side and business side must intersect. If you are a business, you need to hav...

Nov 23, 202340 minEp. 127

Becky Endicott: Stoke The Fire Of Engagement Part 2

Becky Endicott is a ridiculous idealist and marketer disguised as a fundraiser working to unleash the Impact Uprising. She's the co-founder of We Are For Good, a new media company gathering nonprofit allies and changemakers in community and conversation to elevate, modernize, and humanize doing good. Key Takeaways: Fundraising will make you feel disingenuous if you put money first in your intention and mindset. If you prioritize building a relationship and building a community, the money will co...

Nov 16, 202319 minEp. 126

Becky Endicott: Stoke the fire of Engagement Part 1

Becky Endicott is a ridiculous idealist and marketer disguised as a fundraiser working to unleash the Impact Uprising. She's the co-founder of We Are For Good, a new media company gathering nonprofit allies and changemakers in community and conversation to elevate, modernize, and humanize doing good. Key Takeaways: Stoking your audience is all about creating a community that’s centered on authentic engagement that leads to movement. Whenever you post anything or tell a story, tag and involve peo...

Nov 09, 202324 minEp. 125

Why Nonprofit Leaders Need Influence

Key Takeaways: Influence is the art of getting people you have no authority over to do what you want them to do, not just because they have to do it but because they choose to. Your ability to influence others is critical to your success. The first step in mastering the art of influence and showing up as an influential leader is knowing yourself. It’s not about anybody else. Train yourself first before anybody else in the organization, because you are the trailblazer that sets the limit for othe...

Nov 02, 202319 minEp. 124

Rebecca Rodriguez: Why or Why Not to Start a Nonprofit

Rebecca is the Principal Consultant at For the Philanthropist and author of The Nonprofit Workbook: Tips & Best Practices for Start-ups Serving the Greater Common Good. Her clients include funders & grant recipients where she focuses on capacity building. Rebecca joins me along with 18 other nonprofit entrepreneurs who focus on supporting those who labor in the social sector. Key Takeaways: Most people who start nonprofits don’t need to. If you’re planning to start a nonprofit, try to ge...

Oct 26, 202340 minEp. 123

Rhea Wong: Executive Directors As Fundraisers

Rhea helps non-profits raise more money. Though she has deep experience with institutional, corporate, and event fund-raising, she is passionate about major individual donors and helping organizations to establish individual giving programs. She has raised millions of dollars in private philanthropy and is passionate about building the next generation of fundraising leaders. She has become a leader in the New York nonprofit community and is a frequent educational commentator in the media. She ha...

Oct 19, 202342 minEp. 122

Cultivating Authenticity For Maximum Influence

Key Takeaways: Welcome criticism as much as praise, both of these are other people’s opinions of us. They get to have their opinions and not everything that people think about you is your business. People will only respond to what you did and say if they care enough to do so. Don’t put peace on a pedestal. Instead, balance peace and conflict. When you sacrifice the conflict for peace at all costs, we will only end up multiplying and creating more explosive conflicts. Creating space for conflict ...

Oct 12, 202321 minEp. 121

How To Create Systemic Change

Key Takeaways: Honor struggle as it is the first step towards creating change. The next step is to bring into awareness any eternal solution that we treat as a magic wand. The third step is letting go of that magic wand and instead looking inside of ourselves. Step four is to wield anger as a tool for transformation, change, and revolution. Claim these words: “I deserve better. Enough of this, I take my power back.” Realize that somewhere along the way you’ve given your power away, and through t...

Oct 05, 202322 minEp. 120

Richie Kendall: Marketing in the Digital Age

Richie Kendall is a visionary business leader and storyteller. He envisions a world powered by generosity, collaboration, and compassion where workplace giving, cause marketing, influencer impact, and next-generation philanthropy collide. His company Goodworld provides award-winning nonprot and CSR software to power the social purpose sector. His combined experience in technology, film, social impact, and design has put him at the center of collaborations with leading global brands and impact mo...

Sep 28, 202333 minEp. 119
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